It took the riders just 45 minutes to whiz through Cambridge and Essex on their way to London - but they have left a lasting legacy in the wake of their whirling wheels.

The British legs of the Tour de France have been hailed a huge success by community leaders, cycling enthusiasts and the Government, and many now hope the staging of the world’s greatest bike race will prompt not only a surge in enthusiasm for cycling - both as a leisure pursuit and a means of transport - but also a determination to provide better support and infrastructure for those who decide to hop in the saddle.

Graham Hughes, Cambridgeshire County Council’s executive director for economy, transport and environment, said: “I and my team were there on the big day, and in my view it was a fabulous success. The weather was great, and hundreds of thousands of people turned out to watch. The population of Cambridge itself is only about 120,000, but I believe a very large proportion were spectating, together with people from surrounding villages, which is marvellous when compared with the much bigger cities of Leeds and Sheffield. The sheer enthusiasm in our county was fantastic.

“Was it worth doing, staging the Tour de France in our area? The answer is very much yes, and not just because of the honour of being able to participate in one of the world’s greatest sporting events. The day has now been and gone, and we can now look to what the future holds.

“The legacy is the most important thing to focus on. With the Olympic Games, I think we have seen very positive effects, in terms of infrastructure and people participating in sport, and I’m sure it will be the same with the Tour de France. After the success of Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome in the race, for example, cycling is now part of the mainstream. People see them as heroes.

“I’m sure many people locally will be encouraged to take up cycling themselves, as a means of commuting, and that families will start doing it in their leisure time as well.

“As a council we have put in a lot of facilities already for cyclists, but could we do more? Yes. In Cambridge city, we have a good and growing cycling network, and a lot of effort is going in to provide more for the market towns as well, but of course there is always more that can be done.

“The council is fully behind cycling, and being part of the Tour de France will undoubtedly help us when it comes to securing more resources and support from the Government. Having said that, the Government is already pro-cycling, so we are pushing against an open door.”

Mr Hughes urged people to check out the cycle routes already established in the county. He said: “I hope during the school holidays people will take the opportunity to get out and about and see what facilities we already have.”

Grant Wilkinson, operations and marketing manager for Cambridge bike retailers Station Cycles, said he “really hopes” the race will encourage more cycling.

He said: “The Tour De France is up there with the Olympic Games in status and should serve to inspire a new generation of cyclists as well as rekindle the love of cycling for those who maybe haven’t been out on a bike in a while. Everyone I spoke to had a great day with the Tour in town and people will carry on taking about it.

“Christian Prudhomme, the Tour de France general director said it himself best - ‘Britain has staged the grandest of Grand Departs.’ What we saw in Cambridge was unlike anything I’ve seen here before. It could have been the finish line in France on the Champs Elysees, it was that busy, and with an amazing atmosphere.”

He added better facilities were still needed for cyclists.

He said: “Fast moving cars, buses and trucks, and slow(er) moving cyclists just do not mix on the same roads. Segregated pathways are the way forward. If we take a look on the guided busway cyclepath in the mornings and evenings, we can truly see how many people will get on their bike if they feel safe.

“We have a problem in Cambridge that many of the main routes into the city from the outskirts are not designed for cyclists and motorists to exist in harmony, leading to what is sometimes seen as an ongoing battle for space and supremacy that simply cannot be won in the current state.

“We do have good facilities in Cambridge, better than a lot of towns and cities - but there is always room for improvement.”

A million people - and possibly more - are reported to have turned out to watch the Tour de France as the race sped through Cambridgeshire, Essex and London.

A spokesman for Cambridgeshire County Council said: “We don’t yet have more detailed figures for Cambridgeshire itself. We can only say at present it was 1 million across the whole of stage 3, in Cambridgeshire, Essex and London. We expect more detailed figures by next week.”

Nearly 1,300 people were drafted in to marshal the big event in the county, the spokesman added - and just under 1,000 people - 996 - gave up their time to act as stewards, with a further 300 taking on the Olympics-style role of ‘Tour Makers’.

Their tasks included welcoming international visitors, giving information to the public, and supporting the emergency services.

Rail operator First Capital Connect said its Tour de France plans “went without a hitch, with specially lengthened trains laid on between Cambridge and London King’s Cross.”

A spokesman said: “A dozen services were lengthened in each direction between 10am and 3pm and over 2,000 bottles of water were handed out to the exuberant spectators who watched Stage 3 of ‘Le Tour’ begin in central Cambridge.”